The Line of men
by Ramzi1337
Summary: Sam, a young American southerner, joins the struggle in Vietnam. This is a historical fictional novel i'm working on, And no! this has nothing to do with Of Mice and men, sorry i need to pick a category :c Hope you enjoy reading! please leave a comment! thanks lads x) (note: the cover of this fiction is not my own)


**The line of men**

November 10th 1968

Time 12:37am

I look out my room window to find my mother running towards our mailbox next to our ranch's front gate. _''strange''_ I thought. Why in such a rush? More bills? She opens the mailbox taking every letter with her back into the house. I hear the front door shut.

Confused and worried, I open my room's door slightly, doing my best to not make a sound while I hear her repeating the words ''no, no, no'' I make my way towards the stairs to the right and start to walk slowly down each rumbling step.

I stop mid-way and look down at my mother sitting on the living room couch with an opened letter in her hands and tiers coming down her face. I take another step down but the noises of the creaks make her quickly look at me.

''damn it'' I whispered to myself.

She quickly glances up at me with a surprised expression on her face, then blows her nose and tells me to sit down. I sit down uncomfortably next to her, grabbing a handkerchief and hand it to her. ''what's wrong?'' I ask confused. She looks down at the opened letter that she folded in half and hands it to me, and I unfold it. It's a request from the army to join the fight in Vietnam. My eyes widen.

''I should join'' I whisper underneath my breath.

''no! You can't and you won't'' she says, with a raising voice. She stands up and looks at me with an annoyed look on her face. ''them gooks will kill you out there!'' she snaps. I thought for a moment… twisting the letter in my hands, holding on to it tightly.

''they'd sure try to, but I wouldn't let em''

''But you can't fight! Hell, you don't even know how to pull a damn trigger'' her voice lowers. I look back up at her, annoyed. ''ok… first of all, it was a rabbit, and I was ten, and dad sa-'' she cuts me off before I can finish.

''your father? Well… he wanted to do the same damn thing!'' she says clinching her fists. ''leave us to go fight a bunch of, animals!'' she looks down hopelessly and sits back next to me. I didn't know what to say, my father died- -while raiding a bunker during the early years of the Vietnam War, they says it was an Mk 2 grenade that killed him and most of his unit.

''I'm doing this for my country, you shouldn't worry non'' she rolls her eyes. ''really? I shouldn't? Damn right I should… you're my son, an' I can't lose you or Evan'' I wrap my right hand around her right shoulder and look her in the eyes. Hoping to reason with her somehow. ''I'll come back, I ain't plaining on leaving you here'' she glances at the letter and looks back once more. ''especially not with Evan'' I say jokingly to her.

She lets out a slight chuckle and smiles for a second.

A splash of water hits the bowl of the downstairs bathroom sink, before one of the sink fossits are turned with a squeak.

Evan steps out of the door half way before grapping a towel hanging from the bathroom's wall.

''Speak of the devil'' I whisper. He had just finished shaving, and walked towards us pat drying his face with the white towel, his fringe dripping from the splash. ''what are yous yelling about?'' his tone was surprisingly calm before he lowers the towel and looks at us. He glances at my mother first, confused why she was crying. Then looks at me angrily.

''da hell'd you do?'' he says through his breath. My mother sniffs.

''your brother says he's joining the war'' she smiles at him sarcastically.

Evan, with a surprised face throws his towel with his right hand onto the floor ''the hell you are!'' he says, voice raising. ''It's My choic-''

''well it's a pretty stupid one!'' he says raising his voice almost to a shout. This was probably the only time in our lives our mother could at least be thankful that we had no neighbours for 2 and a half miles. He looks at mama, both hands on hips.

''an' what? You approve of him goin'?'' he asks pointing his right arm at me. ''no.'' she says. God damn it I think before deciding to stand up and pick up the letter, holding it for a second for em to see.

''look… I can understand your hesitation and I don't think your stupid, but I'm going and that's it, I'll be back before yous knew I left. Almost like I was here all along.'' I walk out of the room and head up stairs slowly then make it upstairs. ''you shoulda burned it'' says Evan. ''I was, I just had to check em first'' she replied With elbows on knees and her chin resting in her hands, looking at the corner of the room.

November 12th 1968

Time 9:12am

I walk down the old rigid stares one last time as I make my way to the front door. There, Evan and mama were waiting to say goodbye. Mama with worry in her eyes and a half smile lets out a sigh, then starts to adjust my black jacket.

''Its fine, really its fine.'' I insist. ''There… Well, you look swell.

''she says before hanging her head down for a moment, as her face grew tight with thought. ''You better come back to us. . . alive! Awright?

''awright, I'll keep my head down.''

''an' your eyes up. Don't you be thinkin about us at home too much ok?''

''yes mam''

Evan stood right beside the open door that let in a heavenly shine of light that touched the unpainted floor. The warm relaxing breeze didn't seem to help him or her much.

He gives me a pat on my right shoulder and wraps his arms around me.

''write to us'' he says calmly. I nod to him.

''you'd best be goin' mama mumbles hanging her head down with a tight face and tears almost falling down.

''Oh! Right'' I broke in loudly.

I make my way out the porch and begin to walk along the long wide dirt path. Squinting my eyes from the light that hit from the hot sun.

''hey Sam!'' I hear Evan shout from the porch.

''if I hear a knock on this door it better be you an' not some fella with a hat in his hand!''

I chuckle a bit and raise my right hand to him.

''I'll be fine, take care of the place while I'm gone''

''awright'' he shouts back giving a thumbs up. Mama peaks her head out of the door way and nudges him to come back inside. I turn around not facing the house or the truck or the green forest of oak trees from behind surrounded by the wheat fields. I might die out there, I think to myself adjusting my bag I held under my right arm, and wrap it around my shoulders.


End file.
